POLLOCK
BRIDGETOWN (Reuters):
SOUTH AFRICA captain Graeme Smith has hinted that fast bowler Shaun Pollock will not play in the third Test against the West Indies starting in Bridgetown today.
"It would be great to have him in the side but we need to decide whether he can bowl 25 overs a day," Smith said yesterday.
"It's not about ability or anything else with Shaun, it's about whether he can last five days."
INJURY SLOWS POLLOCK
Pollock has missed South Africa's last four Test matches and three one-day internationals because of chronic inflammation in his left ankle.
"The way we have been thinking is that to play him in the fourth Test would be ideal," Smith said.
South Africa's other selection poser concerns batsman Jacques Rudolph, who has scored just 39 runs in four innings in the series.
Rudolph withdrew from a tour match against a University of the West Indies vice-chancellor's XI at the weekend because of an injured back, and Boeta Dippenaar, his likely replacement, scored 184 runs.
"His back is doing
well, but we'll make that selection call tomorrow," Smith said.
Smith said South Africans understood that more grass than usual would be left on the Kensington Oval pitch in Bridgetown, which is regarded as the fastest surface in the Caribbean.
"I think they (West Indies) will be aggressive, especially if the rumours we have heard about the pitch are true," Smith said.
NTINI IMPRESSES
Fast bowler Makhaya Ntini claimed a South African record haul of 13 for 132 in the second Test, but Smith said his team's support bowlers needed to improve.
"The third seamer's role is important in terms of our need to keep the pressure on and we could work on that," Smith said.
Smith also wants his batsmen to show more fight.
"With the bat, I want us to be more ruthless in certain situations," he said.
Squads:
West Indies: Shivnarine Chanderpaul (captain), Courtney Browne, Chris Gayle, Wavell Hinds, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Brian Lara, Ryan Hinds, Dwayne Bravo, Daren Powell, Fidel Edwards, Reon King, Dwight Washington.
South Africa: Graeme Smith (captain), Nicky Boje, Mark Boucher, A.B. de Villiers, Boeta Dippenaar, Herschelle Gibbs, Andrew Hall, Jacques Kallis, Charl Langeveldt, Andre Nel, Makhaya Ntini, Shaun Pollock, Ashwell Prince, Jacques Rudolph, Monde Zondeki.
